1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the transfer of ions through membranes, and more specifically relates to the electromagnetic alteration of biochemical activity in living cells.
2. Description of Related Art and Summary of the Invention
The biochemical and medical fields have long sought an inexpensive and accurate method of enhancing the movement of selected ions involved in life processes across living cell membranes. Until the discovery described in this specification, no investigator had found a satisfactory technique for achieving such results. The control of such ions has been achieved up to now solely by the administration of pharmaceutical agents which often entail invasive hazard and which at best are less than efficacious in their results. The applicants have succeeded where others failed because they have discovered the cause and effect relationship between certain types of extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and the movement of selected ions across the membranes of living cells.
The closest known related work is described by Blackman et al. in "A Role For The Magnetic Field In The Radiation-Induced Efflux Of Calcium Ions From Brain Tissue In Vitro," 6 Bioelectromagnetics 327-337 (1985). Blackman et al. noted changes in the efflux of calcium ion from brain tissue in response to various magnetic fields. Since Blackman et al. used tissue specimens rather than singel cells, it is impossible to tell whether the efflux of calcium ions noted by them was due to a cell membrane response as opposed to movement of ions in bulk interstitial fluids or in damaged cells.
Blackman et al. used both a constant unipolar magnetic field and a fluctuating bipolar magnetic field arranged perpendicular to each other. The fluctuating biopolar field was generated by a transmission line. According to conventional field theory, the transmission line produced magnetic flux lines arranged in concentric rings around the axis of the line. Blackman et al. noted modest calcium efflux (e.g., 20 to 30% increase when compared to controls) when the constant and fluctuating fields were perpendicular, but failed to note any efflux for any other orientation of the fluctuating field and constant field (p. 334). Furthermore, according to the BEMS Seventh Annual Meeting Abstracts (1985), Blackman et al. ruled out a simple cyclotron resonance model as the underlying causative mechanism for their observations.
Contrary to the observations of Blackman et al., the applicants have discovered that they can substantially increase the permeability of a selected ion through a membrane subjected to either the earth's geomagnetic field or to an arbitrarily chosen static magnetic field by superimposing a fluctuating magnetic field with a flux density having a nonzero net average value that is properly proportioned with respect to the frequency of the fluctuations. The applicants have succeeded by creating a magnetic field which, when combined with either the earth's geomagnetic field or an arbitrarily chosen static magnetic field, results in a magnetic field having at least one rectangular component extending along an axis projecting through the cell and having a magnitude that fluctuates at a prescribed peredetermined rate to create a nonzero average value. The field is generated so that the ratio of this predetermined rate to the nonzero average value is limited by means of a predetermined relationship with respect to the charge to mass ratio of the predetermined ion.
According to a preferred practice of the invention, the predetermined rate (in Hz) times 2.pi. is substantially equal to the charge-to-mass ratio (in Coulombs per kilogram) of the predetermined ion times the nonzero average value of magnetic flux density (in Tesla). This is a relationship of the type rejected by Blackman et al. and hereafter called the "Cyclotron Resonance Relationship": EQU 2.pi.f.sub.c =(q/m)B
By properly orienting and controlling the resultant magnetic field, the applicants have discovered that the cyclotron resonance can be used to enhance the transfer of a selected ion across the membrane of a living cell. This technique enables the applicants to alter the transfer of some ions by a substantial factor up to ten or more times greater than would occur normally, or by any other technique. By using this technique, the influx or efflux of selected ions from living cells can be regulated economically with a degree of precision and speed previously unknown.